Having a sputum test need some help please I've never done one before would be grateful if anyone know how to store your sample after its fi

[Titchy52]

Please could someone who's done a sputum test when you've got your sample do you put it in fridge as I have to take it up docs at 11 am thanks in advance x

[sassy59]

Hi Titchy, Pete does his first thing and then we get it to the health centre asap. He has never put it in the fridge but someone else may have different advice. Take care. Xxxxx

[PastMeBest]

Hi Titchy52 I just do the sputum sample in the pot supplied by the Surgery and take it straight to the Doctors. Never needed to store it. The fresher the better I would have thought.

Hope your better soon.

Regards. John

[Hidden]

I agree with the others but also have to say that sometimes it sits in my handbag for hours when I go to clinic in Bham. Then sits till they send them all to the lab. Then sits till they look at it and they still get the results. Don't stress yourself about it. That's the main thing.

[Caspiana]

Hi Titichy. I was told to store it but they did it when I was in hospital. Then they came to collect. There didn't seem to be any special instructions apart from that. I hope it goes ok. xx 🌻

[Titchy52 in reply to Caspiana]

Yes thanks cas all done now x

[aberdeenman]

when ever I've done one the surgery give me a pre paid addressed envelope and I post straight to lab

[Titchy52 in reply to aberdeenman]

They send it from clinic but have to hand it in before 11-30 am .

[helingmic in reply to aberdeenman]

Aberdeenman, I wish I could do that. I told one consultant the problem with transport. he answered me to bring the pot to the lab itself. But I live miles away from the hospital, have no car and wouldn't ask the volunteers as they wouldn't be able to provide a cra for the same day. So I have to trust that transport will take it from the surgery and not loose the for or find the pot is leaking! I'm sure they do it on purpose, because I check sealed pot and form! Mic

[Nottobad]

I don't think you have to store it if you are handing it on the day you do it. But you have to put on the sample pot the time you took it. And I have been told by my resp nurse that you can store it over night in the fridge if you have to.

[Titchy52 in reply to Nottobad]

Opps I didn't put time but the date was already on there x

[Billiejean_2]

I've also been told to store in fridge overnight if necessary.

[Titchy52 in reply to Billiejean_2]

I did it in morn then took it straight up fingers crossed it's all clear c

[Hidden]

I've gone straight to the surgery, before lunch anyway and handed it in at Reception, but please check that the name and details are on the pot they give you are yours, for I had someone elses label on mine last time.

[Titchy52 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Jen I did that went up this morn thanks for everyones response have to wait a week and ring x

[helingmic in reply to Hidden]

Oh dear Jenny,

That's not good. I'm glad you checked.Could have become a wrong diagnosis for you! Mic

[Hidden in reply to helingmic]

Thankyou Mic - two urine samples have also been mislaid between the Reception area and hospital laboratory. Makes me feel very unimportant. I wish I had the ability to follow these samples to the bitter end. Sadly I have to rely on people I do not regard as reliable. Wishing I could self diagnose

[helingmic in reply to Hidden]

Yeahm jenny, it's not the doctos, but the people who transport samples. they don't like their job and make it feel by losing things or claiming the sample leaked. My surgery said that thre were a lot of complaints. Eventually, I thin they will get another firm to do it. We'll see!

At least, we don't hav to pay directly for these things. I was in Belgium; there every test is paid for out of your own money!

As bad as the service is in this country, it's still far better than abroad! Just to cheer you up! Mic

[lejaya]

I did a sample few weeks ago and left it in my bedroon on a shelf overnight, I then topped it up the next morning. I have never been told how to do one before my doc just said heres the pot do a sample. I'm guessing by the comments what I did was incorrect

[Titchy52 in reply to lejaya]

The nurse told me first thing in the morning is better I've delivered my sample now told to ting in a week .

[helingmic in reply to lejaya]

Lejaya, It might be, but if you have an infection , it's probably the same bug you topped it up with! So it wouldn't have mattered. I was told to take care of the form and not so much about the pot! Transport pepole who collect the samples tend to lose the form and don't bother with the pot then and just throw it in the bin!

This happened to me. The surgery asked me to to another sample, but by that time I was dry and taking antibiotics already! The only test I couldhave then was a blood test which show a molecule called CRP. The higher the number of the moelcule the more you are ill. Hope you don't have to do that. Mic

[lejaya in reply to helingmic]

Hi Mic

Thank you for your reply, I just thought maybe it was wrong to leave in on the shelf rather then in the fridge as others have mentioned but maybe it was ok and just didn't show anything I personally prefer blood tests its a bit unpleaeant doing samples and I'm not very good at coughing stuff up althouth getting better whith physio

Hope you are feeling better

Lejaya

[helingmic in reply to lejaya]

Dear Lejaya, I'm veruy fortunate to be well at the moment. I have suffered 3 months of different bugs in February, March and May. I jumped on teh Clarithromycin which I have as a repeat prescription.

Well, I have a sputum test first, then I take the Clarithromycin.

If you have a lung condition, you could ask your consultant to have some antibiotics to take just as soon as you get ill. Also, you could ask for several sputum pots ( my consultant gives me 3 per illness, so he sees one at the onset, one after I finishe my antibiotics and one a week or 2 after to make sure my lungs are really clear.

He is very efficient, but he doesn't want to see me very often. My pulmonary nurse has more or less taken over. This is good as I can phone her as I wish. She is down to earth and comes and do tests so I can get referred to my GP quickly if I need another kind of antibiotics.

Have you got a pulmonary nurse - this isn't the asthma nurse from the surgery, this is a specialist nurse who only deal with lung disease. That means she is a mine of knowledge, and she looks after lung disease patients very thoroughly. Worth asking your consultant or GP to be referred to her.

OK, this is long enough, but I hope it helps. Mic

[lejaya]

are people liking my previous comment because its funny or true????

[helingmic in reply to lejaya]

True, lejaya, just true. I don't make fun of you when I like your comment. I mark it when I think it's interesting! Mic

[helingmic]

Hi Titchy,

Yes do that! I had a doc during the night once and gave me a sputum pot and told me to keep the sputum in the fridge.

Also make sure that you seal the pot firmly and the bagthe bag in which you put it in and attach the form with a bit of glue. Very often here, the transport people say there was no form and I know I put one in, but the bag is a bit awkward as you have to put the form on the outside in a sort of sliding pocket. So make sure it's securely stuck or attached. They are very fussy about it. If they are not satisfied with the pot, they say it leaked. i fthey can shake the form and it falls they don't bother picking it up and throw the pot in the bin!

However, the microbiologist is usually a decent person, it's the transport people who are awkward!

Hope it helps. Mic